


What a Tragedy!

by Stripesicles222



Series: RWBY Tales [7]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Humor, not actually tragic at all, romeo and juliet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:25:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stripesicles222/pseuds/Stripesicles222
Summary: Beacon Academy presents: Romeo and Juliet!Starring: Weiss Schnee as Juliet Capulet (and a mysterious Romeo)





	What a Tragedy!

Weiss inhaled deeply, quelling any residual nerves.

It was opening night for Beacon Academy's annual play.

This year's production was Romeo and Juliet. Weiss had been given the part of Juliet Capulet, and her Romeo was supposed to be Neptune Vasilias.

...Emphasis on supposed to be. 

The blue haired Mistralian had yet to arrive, and curtain opened in 10 minutes.

"Miss Schnee, are you ready?"

Weiss turned to look at Professor Port, who was the play's director.

"I'm ready," she replied, "But Neptune's not here yet. We can't exactly start without him."

"I'm afraid we can't wait any longer," Port said. "I will go tell his understudy to get ready."

Weiss nodded absentmindedly.  
She vaguely recalled that all leads had someone who was ready to take over if something were to happen, but she couldn't remember who was to step in for Neptune. Come to think of it, she didn't even know who her own understudy was.

Shrugging it off, she decided to read through the script once more, just in case Neptune's replacement messed it all up.  
________________________________________

**Act I, Scene V**

********

The stage was set up to resemble the inside of a noble's house. It was after all the scene of the Capulet's masquerade dinner party.

It was also the first scene Weiss had with her mystery Romeo. Despite being five scenes into the play, she still had no idea who he was. She didn't exactly have time to ask anyone and she wasn't allowed near the  
stage when she wasn't on it.

The heiress took her spot on one side of the stage and awaited her cue.

The Neptune-stand-in walked up to her boldly and delivered his line flawlessly.

His voice was definitely familiar, but with that mask over his face it was hard to tell who it was.

Pushing the thought away, she responded with her own line.

They carried on like so through the rest of the scene, and soon, Weiss found herself getting caught up in atmosphere.

When the Romeo took her hand and gently kissed the back of it, the heiress could feel her face flush with heat.

She relaxed a bit when the Nurse (played by Yang) came to relieve her of her spot on stage.

Safe once again behind the scenes, Weiss let her thoughts sort themselves out.

Whoever this understudy was, he sure knew how to act.  
________________________________________

**Act II, Scene II**

********

This time, Weiss was up in a balcony that had been dragged out by the stage crew.

She was once again running through the lines in her head. After all, this scene was an iconic one, crucial to the play.

Also, she was trying to push aside thoughts of the mysterious actor that was playing her 'beloved.'

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"

Weiss froze as she heard the first lines of the scene.

Without the mask, the other actor's voice distinct and recognizable.

Not wanting to trust her ears, Weiss risked a quick glance to the bushes Romeo was crouched behind.

She paled as she saw that her ears had not deceived her.

"Ay me!" she cried in shock. What luck that her exclamation lined up perfectly with the script.

But she was too stunned to notice.

Romeo was… _Jaune Arc? ___

____

____

She completed the rest of the scene in a state of shock, trusting only to muscle memory and habit formed by the countless rehearsals.

She didn't remember much else from the scene, save for Yang's knowing smirks during their interactions on stage.  
________________________________________  


**Backstage in Between Scenes**

****

****

Weiss was furious. Why hadn't anyone told her that _Jaune Arc _was Neptune's understudy?__

____

____

She grabbed a nearby crew member and demanded an explanation.

"Oh, hey Weiss," Ruby greeted. "You're doing a great job out there."

"Why didn't anyone tell me that Jaune was Neptune's understudy?"

Ruby shrugged.

"We thought you knew."

Yang laughed as she walked by.

“What a tragedy!” she joked. 

Weiss growled.

How could she have been so careless? At the very least she should have checked the cast lists. Where was Neptune anyway?

A squeak from Ruby drew her from her inner ranting and back to the present. Weiss realized that she had unwittingly tightened her grip on the young speedster.

"Sorry," she muttered, releasing her friend. "I just…I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, rubbing her sore arm.

"I mean, I have to... I have to kiss Jaune in a few scenes."

"So? It's just acting," Ruby said. "It doesn't have to mean anything. Jaune knows that."

Weiss thought it over.

"I guess you're right. Thanks for the help Ruby."

The scythe wielder beamed at her.

"Anytime Weiss! Glad I could help."

The heiress chuckled as her partner saluted smartly before speeding off to finish whatever she had been doing before Weiss interrupted her.

Despite the pep talk, Weiss was still nervous. But Ruby just didn't understand, so it would have been pointless to keep her away from her duties.

She did appreciate the effort though.  
________________________________________

**Act III, Scene V**

********

********

Weiss was sure she would die of mortification by the end of the scene.

She had to proclaim her undying love for Jaune ('s character), and Shakespeare's lines strongly hinted at the fact that something much more intimate had transpired between the characters the night before.

The Nurse's lines didn't provide any solace either. Throw in the fact that Yang was the one delivering them and it just made everything worse.

There was no way the blonde was going to let her live this down any time soon.

Her dialogue with Lady Capulet (played by Pyrrha Nikos) probably had a lot more venom in the lines than called for. In retrospect, talking about taking revenge on Jaune to Pyrrha probably wasn't a safe thing to do.

But that's show biz…  
________________________________________

**Act V, Scene III**

********

********

Weiss lay on the table, her mind racing as she awaited her cue.

How the heck did she find herself in this situation?

She only half listened to the clanking of metal as Jaune and Sun (playing as Paris) dueled around her.

It should be Neptune fighting Sun, she thought spitefully.

She heard Sun collapse on the floor as Jaune 'killed' him.

She ignored Jaune's monologue, and stiffened as he lay on the table next to her.

Once again, she asked herself how she ended up in the situation.

She readied herself as she heard footsteps approaching, Ren giving the lines of Friar Lawrence.

"The Lady stirs!"

Weiss sat up slowly, making a show of appearing confused and disoriented.

"O comfortable Friar! Where is my lord?"

Weiss once again fell into auto pilot.

There was no way she would be able to go through this a second time.

Before tomorrow's show she would either find Neptune or find out who her understudy was so she could quit.

She waited for Ren to take his leave before commencing her final monologue.

When it came time for the kiss, Weiss made a quick decision.

Taking a deep breath, she bent down and whispered into Jaune's ear.

_"There is_ NO WAY _I'm kissing you! not now, not ever!_

Sitting back up, she took mild pleasure in the small frown that graced his lips.

"Thy lips are still warm," she announced, falling back to the script.

Pulling the dagger from Jaune's belt, she finished her lines before 'stabbing' herself and collapsing back onto the table.

She smiled wryly at the irony of the situation.

How many times had she told Jaune 'over my dead body' when he had asked her out?

Too many times to count.

Anyway, it was over now.

She'd make someone pay for this later.


End file.
